Don't Worry It's Just Ragnarok
by Kokoro Oni
Summary: When Zalora starts having weird dreams, her life is turned upside down. With the trickster Loki by her side, she will witness Ragnarok for herself. NOTE: Will be mostly based on myth, but have my own fictional twists as well. Each chapter is titled after one of my favorite songs. WELCOME LOKIANS! (Don't picture MARVEL Loki. This is based on the MYTHOLOGICAL Loki)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One- 'Sweet Dreams'**

The war rages on. He throws his opponent to the ground, crushing the rocks beneath him. I can do nothing but watch, the arm around my neck tightens. I have to fight for air as the rival on his feet pulls out his sword. He is still on the ground, his face grimaced in pain. A slight hesitation flashes through the sword-holder's eyes, then the fury returns.

"For all your betrayal!" With the call, the sword falls, seemingly in slow motion.

"No!" I scream, closing my eyes tightly. I can't bear to watch him die.

"Watch." The man behind me orders, again tightening his hold on my neck. But I refuse, my cry continuing, weaker from lack of air.

I wake up screaming, drenched in sweat, panting. Reaching in the darkness, I switch on the bedside lamp. I sit up and rub the sweat and tears from my eyes, blinking rapidly against the burning within them. I grab my dream journal, resting in its place next to the lamp. Once I flip it open, I snatch a pen off the table and scratch another mark on the page titled, "Recurring War Dream." This would make 17 nights in a row of the same awful dream. I stare at the marks in confusion.

A sigh of defeat escapes past my lips as I place the journal back in its place. The cold floor causes me to shiver as I make my way across the room to the bathroom. The constant snowing outside leaves my home feeling barren and lifeless, even with the indoor-heating. The snow seemingly nonstop, pours daily, and has done so for weeks. At first, local meteorologists were baffled, but at this point, it has become routine.

I flip on the light once in the bathroom and stand in front of the mirror. My red hair and clothes are matted to my body by the sweat.

As I slowly peel of my pajamas, a slight chill gives me goose bumps. My mind is still clouded with misperception as I turn on the shower. The water streams out hot and welcoming. I step inside, the water burning my cold skin before enveloping me in a blanket of warmth.

I remain in the shower until the water runs icy. My fluffy, cozy robe comforts me while I stand before the sink. I open the medicine cabinet and remove the bottle of sleeping medication. Putting the tablet on my tongue, I chase it down with a glass of water.

I return to bed, and curl up in my blankets, switching off the lamp. Even with the medication, sleep doesn't find me.

The hot coffee doesn't help to clear my sleep-deprived mind. The kitchen is lit by nothing but the morning sun, pouring through the east side windows. With my mug of coffee, I sit down at the kitchen table. The snowflakes outside flits against the windows, dancing playfully as if summoning me to join them.

A knock at the front door commands my attention. I throw back a mouthful of coffee and make my way in that direction. I hear voices behind the door, knowing them immediately. Still in my robe, I open the door. Desire and Breanna's happy faces lighten the gloomy mood of the house. With my two best friends trailing behind me, I return to the table and to my coffee. They continue to chatter something about anime while I finish my coffee in silence.

"Air is awesome!" Desire says to Breanna.

"It's so damn depressing!" Breanna retorted.

"What do you think?" Desire asks, both of them looking to me for a final answer.

I don't respond. I just sigh and look down to my empty mug, shaking my head, a faint smile on my face.

"You ok?" Breanna asks, not knowing that I hate being asked that question.

"Yeah, I just didn't get much sleep last night. Or any night for that matter." The sun spilling past the window is warm on my back.

"Waanna." Breanna says, her famous 'get over it' phrase.

I just chuckle, closing my eyes.

"Why don't you sleep?" Desire asks, lightly punching Breanna in the shoulder for her rudeness, who hits her back.

"Jerk!" Desire says, laughing, and turning back to me for an answer.

"It's just a bad dream." I say, not sure if they really want to know, or are just being polite.

"And?" Breanna says, walking over to the coffee pot, and finishing all my coffee. Damn.

"It's weird. I have had the same dream for the past 17 days. I don't know what it means." I say, knowing they will understand.

"Maybe it's a premonition." Desire suggests.

"Oh please!" I say, waving my hand at her, "I don't have a psychic bone in my body."

"You might." Breanna says, returning to the table, "What was it about?"

So I tell them the whole dream, down to the point of me waking up screaming.

"Shit, that's intense." Breanna says, rubbing her forehead.

"This is kind of a depressing conversation, guys. What do you want to do?" Desire asks, trying to change the subject, which I respond to immediately.

"Sorry, guys. I'm going to try to get some sleep. I don't feel up to hanging out today."

They both give me their pouty faces and puppy eyes, but it does nothing to ease my exhaustion. Finally, they decide to leave me to it. I escort them back to the door, and they leave just how they arrived. Talking about anime.

Locking the front door, I practically crawl back to my room, and fall into bed. This time, I fall asleep immediately.

He's not dead? Where is the guy with the sword? The man holding me back? I don't see either of them. I just see him. I look down to my feet to see that I am standing on a cloud. A cloud? Then the color of my clothes catches my attention. I am wearing a sapphire dress with a black corset. A black stone necklace glows from my chest. Where did that come from?

I look up again, my eyes find him.

He seems to be the picture of perfection. His long red-orange hair dances in the wind. He wears loose black pants with no shoes. His chiseled muscles and masculine built face only draw me towards him.

"Zalora, my dear." His voice is sweet and musical as it drifts to my unworthy ears. It sounds like many voices at once speaking to me. "Everything will be fine, child." He says, smiling comfortingly. "You have no idea the power you yield." He lifts his hand to caress my face.

"What do you mean?" I ask, leaning my cheek into his warm hand.

A knowing smile appears on his face. His green eyes stare into mine intently. Suddenly, the hand drops. I rise up, floating away from him. The man reaches out, breaking the necklace from around my neck. He grasps it in his hand, and holds it to his chest.

"Wait!" I say, not wanting to leave. No matter how much I fight, I continue to float away.

"You will free me." The man says, in a whisper I can still hear, despite my distance. His arm is extended towards me, longingly.

A warm smile still resides on his face as he disappears from my sight. I awaken in my bed, not sweating or screaming.

"You will save me." The words still echo in my mind as if he had just repeated them.

My eyes flutter open, a yawn escaping my body. I glance over, the clock reads….7pm! I slept all day. As soon as I am sure I'm not dreaming now, I turn on the lamp. In my dream journal, I record every detail of the journey that I can remember.

The same man in my last dream who almost died now says that I will save him. Why do I have the inner need to please him, to save him? Could these be just silly dreams?

As I lay my journal back on the lamp table, I decide to get out of bed and eat something.

There is no need to cook a big meal at this point, or any point since I live alone. So I decide a bowl of cereal would do just fine. I open the cabinet and stare at my meager selection. Translation: Lucky Charms. I grab the box, milk from the fridge, and have at it.

The kitchen is silent as a ghost town, the only sound being my loud crunching. As I stare down at the bowl, the little marshmallows dance around gaily. My mind is elsewhere, not thinking of dancing marshmallows.

I wonder who the man is? Did I just make him up in my, some would call, 'overly-active', imagination? Why do I feel like I know him? Could Desire and Breanna be right by suggesting it was a premonition of sorts? Thinking of this causes a migraine to brew, clouding my mind.

The phone rings, summoning me from falling into the migraine tornado. I lay down my spoon, and walk over to the phone on the counter.

"Helloooo!" Desire's chirpy voice forces a smile on my face.

"Hey, Dez. What's up?" I say, trying to sound as happy as possible. I take the phone with me back to the table.

"Hi, Z! Z! Z, hi!" Breanna's voice screeches from the background. Another smile conquers my tired face.

"I was just," Dez pauses, I assume for dramatic effect, "wondering if you're ok. You didn't seem like yourself today. In fact, you have been acting weird lately. Is everything ok?"

I cradle the receiver between my ear and shoulder, scooping a spoonful of cereal in my mouth.

"I'm fine." I say, through a full mouth. "What makes you say that?"

"Well…you just haven't been acting like yourself. We've noticed it for a while now." The concern in her voice makes me feel happy to have such great friends.

"Yaaaaaaa! What gives?!" Breanna asks, I can't help but giggle. "By the way, you're on speaker." She adds.

"I'm fine, really. Just lack of sleep that's all." I hope I sound convincing. I hear honking in the background as well. "Where are you guys?" I ask.

"Just driving around." Dez says. " Well, I think there is something we can do." She adds, hesitantly.

"I have already taken almost every pill in my house and-" I begin before she cuts me off.

"No, not that. Breanna and I were thinking about something else."

"Ok, what?" I ask, throwing back the remainder of the milk in my bowl.

"A stripper!" Breanna yells, probably in Dez's face.

I choke on the milk, the result is a coughing fit from hell. Milk spews from my mouth, and maybe even my nose. I am caught in a horrid whirlwind of tears, laughter, and pain all at once. This goes on for what feels like minutes before I hear Breanna speak.

"Holy shit, we killed her!"

"You killed her!" Dez says. "Zalora, are you alright?"

When I can finally breathe again, we fall into another fit of laugher. I don't stop until my ribs ache and my mouth is dry.

Our loud cackling turns into a faint chuckle as the moment wears off.

"Oh guys," I say, wiping the tears from my burning eyes. "I needed that."

"Anyway…." Dez says slowly, getting the conversation back on track, "we were thinking of a session."

"What session?" I ask. "A therapist?" Another giggle.

"No, smartass." She giggles as well.

"A Ouija board session!" Breanna yells.

I ponder the idea for a moment.

"I don't know guys, I'm not really up for-" Again I am cut off.

"You can't say no. We are already pulling up the driveway. And it's not like we haven't done it before." Breanna says.

I stand from the table, looking at the spewed milk on it. I sigh.

"Come on in when you get here then," I say, grabbing a paper towel and wiping down the table top. Suddenly, an idea enters my head.

"Let's call Holly, too." I say. "Then we'll have us a Ouija board session."

5


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2- 'Black Magic Woman'**

We situate ourselves around the small coffee table in the middle of my living room, Holly at the head of the Ouija board. The only illuminations we have are the many candles lit about the room, which Holly insisted on. I thought to call her because of her knowledge of the supernatural. She was always trying to get me to join her cult, so I thought this would be suitable for her. I'm not exactly sure what her cult actually worships, but I knew I didn't want to be a part of it. When I had called her, she insisted on bringing her own board, so we let her.

Since we decided to wait for Holly, our plans were drastically delayed. She works late shifts and was very excited to get my call. It wasn't until about 11 pm when she finally arrived. The constant snowing and late night traffic didn't help matters at all. Once her husband dropped her off, he flew away in their black coupe, leaving us to ourselves and our self-destructive behavior.

"You guys ready?" She asks, inhaling deeply and releasing it in a quiet hiss. Closing her eyes, she doesn't wait for an answer. Holly slowly lowers her head, placing her hand on the board, which is glow in the dark. Her black bracelets jingle with every movement.

She begins muttering gibberish. Dez and Breanna both look to me for an explanation, but I just nod and smile. Now that we are all comfy in our pajamas, the atmosphere feels equally as content. Except for Holly, who stayed in her black, Victorian looking dress. She looks pretty cliché for the part she is playing tonight.

Another puff of breath from Holly and she raises her head.

"There are many spirits with us tonight." She begins, closing her eyes and tilting her head back, "They want to communicate with us."

"How can you tell?" Breanna asks, ruining the mysterious aura of the moment.

Holly looks at her, a superior smile on her face.

"I am blessed by the Gods to feel their presence."

"Says who?" Breanna asks, with an 'mmhmm' attitude.

"Guys." Dez says, terminating what could possibly end badly otherwise.

Before we begin, I ask Holly, "What was that clicky-clacky gibberish you were doing?"

"It was a protection chant. It also amplifies the strength of this." She says, lifting the board up and pointing to the bottom. The poor lighting keeps my eyes from immediately seeing what she is pointing to, but once she tilts the board, is see it. It's a pentagram.

"It's a pentagram in black candle wax. It is said to build the power of the board and draw more entities to it. It makes it stronger."

I nod, actually surprised I learned something from this endeavor.

Another smile comes over Holly as she sets the board back down. This time, one of satisfaction.

"Let's begin, shall we?" This time, she looks around the circle, searching for answers. We all gesture in approval, and the session begins.

Holly places her hands on the planchette, when she speaks, her voice takes on a new tone. A darker one. "Only two of you really need to have your hand on the planchette. The other could write, maybe?" She suggests.

Desire and I decide to put our hands on it with Holly and Breanna writes what is said, if anything.

"Why are we doing this again?" I ask.

"We need to know what is wrong with you." Desire says, looking at me with worry glimmering in her light colored eyes.

"Well if we are going to do this we need to now. The witching hour is about to begin." Holly says, impatiently.

"I thought the witching hour was at like 3." Desire says curiously.

Another irritated sigh comes from Holly as she removes her hands from the board, which Dez and I do as well.

"It is different depending on who you ask. Anytime between midnight and 3 am is the best for this kind of thing." She looks around the circle again, "Can we begin now?"

We all nod in affirmation, and replace our hands on the planchette.

"Take a deep breath." She orders. "Just to calm yourself."

The room is silent for a while. Holly's head is lowered, her eyes closed. Another deep breath. Raising her head, she asks the first question.

"Is there anyone here with us tonight that wishes to speak to us?"

For a long while, nothing happens. So long that I begin to lose faith in our attempt to figure me out.

Then it moves. Not much, but just a twitch. We all lean forward to see over the board.

"Was that us?" Desire asks.

"Shhh!" Holly orders, gazing at the planchette.

"Is there anyone here?" She repeats.

Then it moves farther, the heart shaped pointer moves so that the word 'yes' peers through the little window.

I look at Holly to see her smiling, she looks at me and it remains on her face.

"What is your name?" She asks, looking back down.

'Thokk' It spells out.

"What the fluff is a Thokk?" Dez asks, as Breanna scratches down the name.

For the first time, Holly giggles.

"Let's find out." Breanna says.

"Can you tell us what is wrong with Zalora?" Holly asks, her voice seeming a bit loud for our setting.

'Yes', the board says.

"What is wrong with her?"

'She is coming into herself ,' it says.

"Huh?" Breanna mutters to herself.

"Well then what does that mean?" She asks me.

"I don't know, let's ask Thokk." I say, nodding at the board.

"What does that mean?" Holly asks the board.

"She is more than she is" the portal spells out.

"Whhaaat?" Breanna says. "What the barracuda does that mean?"

"Just write it!" I order, looking to Holly, "Continue, please."

"What does THAT mean?" Holly repeats.

'She will change when she knows' Thokk spells slowly.

"When she knows what?" Holly asks, not missing a beat.

'SOS' Are the three letters that answer.

"SOS?" Desire asks aloud. "Help me?"

I am confused for a moment, but then it hits me. I understand!

"Help me!" I exclaim. "It's 'help me'!"

All three look at me in confusion.

"What the heck are you talking about?" Breanna asks, laying down her pen.

Suddenly, the planchette begins to move. It is so quick that it flies out from under our hands. It glides to the word yes and begins to spin in circles, the word remaining in the window. Then, as quickly as it happened, the pointer moves, falling off the side of the table.

We are all too baffled to say anything. We just look at each other in confusion.

"What the fluff just happened?" Desire asks. Even in the midst of this situation, hearing her say the profanity replacement 'fluff' causes me to laugh.

"I don't know." Holly says, ignoring my reaction. "What were you saying, Zalora?"

The seriousness returns to my being as my laughter slowly fades, and I become more confused than before.

"What I was saying was that SOS, help me. I think I know what it means."

"What does it mean?" Breanna asks.

"From my dream. The person in my dream. He told me that I will save him."

We all ponder of the possibility that I may very well have had a psychic vision for a long while.

"All I can say is that we need to research this Thokk character." Holly looks at her watch, surprisingly not black, and says, "Well that was probably the shortest session I have ever done. But it's safe to say we are done for tonight. I'll call you tomorrow and tell you if I discover anything."

"Sure, thanks." I say, standing up.

Holly puts away her board, and makes her way back to the front door, talking to her husband on the phone. Once she is sure he is on his way, we stand inside and make small talk on random nonsense. Bundling herself up in her black coat, we await his arrival.

"You know my husband is a warlock, right?" She asks, lifting her shoulder-bag over her arm.

"A what?" I question, throwing her a sideways glance.

Holly chuckles lightly, brushing a strand of blonde hair from her pale face.

"A warlock is a male witch." She begins, "He helps me in my research and magick."

"Cool." I respond, not knowing what else to say, since this means absolutely nothing to me at all.

"I know you don't care, really." She says, jangling the bracelets on her wrist. "I just wanted you to know that he will be helping me with my research. I may seem infantile at first, but we are very professional with clients."

"Clients?" Why can't I seem to say more than one word questions?

"Yeah." Holly begins, "That's what we do part-time. Of course you are a free customer, though." She flashes me a sweet smile, again adjusting her shoulder-bag.

"Thaaaaannnks." I say, not knowing anything else to add.

"Sure!" she says, pushing the curtain aside and peeking out the window next to the door.

Looking back to me, she adds, "And your sleep deprivation could very well be medical, not supernatural. Just to let you know."

A loud smash in the kitchen draws my attention, as well as two high pitched shrieks. I peer around the corner, and down the hall to the kitchen.

"What was that?" I ask loudly, ignoring Holly's laughter.

"Breanna broke a plate!" Dez calls gazing around the corner at me.

"Something hit me! Your house is haunted!" Breanna cries fearfully.

I sigh, performing my nearly routine face-palm. Holly's chuckles continue.

"Just clean it up, please." I call to them.

A knock at the door redirects my attention to Holly. I open it slowly to see a man, whom I assume is her husband. The snow flits into the house, freezing my bare feet.

"Hi." He says, running a hand through his long, brown mane, which is speckled with snow. He, not surprisingly, is wearing all black, blending in to the darkness of the night.

"Hey, babe." Holly says, stepping past me out the door.

"Zalora, Nathan. Nathan, Zalora." She introduces us, chaining her arm through his.

I nod politely, admiring his figure. Kudos for Holly.

"I think we got a case." She tells him, leaning into him for warmth.

"Really?" He asks, looking to her then to me.

"If we are going to chat, do you guys want to come in? It's freezing." I offer, standing back.

"No that's ok," Nathan says with the wave of his hand. "We really have to go, but thank you."

I nod again, saying my goodbyes. I close the door quickly, shivering as I do. I think I inhaled some snowflakes.

I am still quivering as I make my way to the kitchen, only to find Breanna and Desire crouched in the floor, picking up the pieces of what is left of a plate.

10


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3-'Intruder'**

We all decided to crash in the living room. Breanna was still insisting she was punched in the arm by a ghost, causing her to drop the plate, up until she fell asleep. Of course Dez and I both know it was just a fabrication of her imagination.

Popping in a movie, we all passed out. We chose to watch The Exorcist, a fitting end to our creepy evening. We are all scattered about the room, I am on the couch. Dez is at my feet on the floor and Breanna is curled up in the recliner.

For the first time in weeks, is sleep peacefully. I don't dream of a man, a war, or anything for that matter.

A loud sound summons me from my deep slumber. I instinctively tighten my muscles and prepare for a fight. My eyes shoot open and I sit forward, flipping on the lamp next to the couch. The room is still too dark for me to see much of anything, due to the lamp's poor illumination. I quietly ease from the couch, tossing my fleece blanket aside. It lands on Dez's face, although she is too out to notice.

I am overtaken by fear, and yet I move towards the sound, drawn to it. This is the part of the horror movie where the main girl gets butchered by a killer in the house, at night. I feel like an idiot, walking to the sound, but I feel somehow obligated to find the noise and define it, for some reason.

It is now dawn. The sun is just peering through the snow and fog. Although it is barely visible through the thickness of the constant fluffy mass.

The noise comes from the kitchen. I am not sure what to attribute the sound to. It kind of sounds like a shuffling, but not really. Tip toing towards it, I slowly follow the sound. As I stand outside the kitchen door, I lean towards the opening.

I quietly peek my head around the corner, utterly shocked when I see the back of a woman. She is short and petite, her long blonde hair extends down past her slender waist. I can't tell what she is doing, but she is fiddling with something in front of her.

I jump into the room, feeling all heroic, with my fists up.

"Who are you?!" I ask, surprising her.

She jumps and turns to face me, her look of shock apparent. I can't help but admire her appearance. Her blonde hair falls over one side of her face. She brushes it back with one hand, and lifts the other one to me, signaling peace. Clutched in hand declaring peace, is a small black box. Her bold green eyes pierce mine, drawing me towards her as the man in my dream had. The dress she wears is a heavenly shade of green. Her lips are thin, and when she speaks, they move with graceful motion.

"Please, I am not here to harm you, Zalora." Her voice sounds of a beautiful symphony.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" I ask, stepping towards her, suddenly realizing she had said my name. "How do you know my name?" The step forward I had just made is retreated.

The woman slowly lowers her arms. She tightens her hands around the box protectively.

"I am, Sigyn." She begins, "I am here to ask you of help." Her step forward results in my own step back.

"I think the help you need is a psychiatrist." I say, backing until I am up against the wall.

"Please do not fear me. I think we can help each other." Her voice is so perfect; I cannot find a lie in her words.

"Why are you in my house and how could you possibly think you could help me." I ask, then adding, "What makes you think I need help? Why am I even negotiating with you? Get out of my house!"

"I know of your dreams," she begins, coming closer so she is in my face. "I know of the man. And I know of Thokk." Her voice quiets as if they are prohibited words.

"Wha-" I begin, then she cuts me off.

"No questions, please. I don't have much time in Midgard! Just know that he knows." She looks around, as if someone may hear what she says. "He gave me something for you."

I am too baffled to say anything. How could she know about Thokk, or the man in my dream? She reaches for my hand, taking it in one of hers. With the other, she opens the black box and pulls something out of it. My eyes are glued to her face. Hovering her hand over mine, the woman released the object, which falls into my grasp. It is cold against my hand. Still too shocked, I don't look down to see what it is.

"I must go!" She says, turning to run out of the kitchen.

She is around the corner and in the hall before I follow. I run after her. Once I make it the short distance to the hallway, I see her flinging the front door open and running, the blonde mane flowing vivaciously behind her. She disappears, and I lose sight of her.

At the door, I look out into the front yard for any signs of her, but the flurry of snow keeps me from making out any definite shapes. My heart is pounding in my ears as I close the door and return to the kitchen. I am so confused right now that I don't know what to do.

'Should I call the cops?' I ask myself, and then a little voice in the back of my mind orders me otherwise.

I don't want to wake Breanna and Desire, because I fear they will call me crazy. In the midst of all these thoughts, one interrupts. I remember something.

Looking down, I slowly open my hand. Utter disbelief causes me to drop the object. It hits the floor with a sharp 'clink'.

I step back, terrified. My hands come up and cover my mouth as I stare at the object. My back is to the wall, my eyes on the unbelievable item.

What I am looking at is…a black stone necklace.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4-'Closer'**

Is this possible? How is it possible? I can't believe this is happening. The strange woman, the man from my dream, the necklace. I had totally forgotten about the necklace. So many questions looming through my mind. After I gathered my sanity, I cautiously picked up the necklace and returned to the kitchen. I made a pot of coffee, knowing that I wasn't going to sleep again.

Now, I am sitting at the kitchen table, pondering the possibility that I am insane. I took psychology in high school, maybe I have an illness. The necklace rests in my hands as I pass it between the two, examining it. It is definitely the same one from my dream yesterday. I glance up at the clock to see that it is only 8:45 in the morning, and Breanna and Desire aren't likely to wake up until past noon.

With a pot of coffee brewing, I lay the necklace on the table top and study it. I don't understand. A shuffle in the next room throws me into defense mode. Could she be back? Just as I stand, preparing myself for interrogation or death, she comes around the corner.

"Desire!" I say, plopping back into my seat. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"Sorry, I'll knock next time." She says with a tired chuckle. "I couldn't breathe. There was a thick blanket on my face." I remember throwing it on her. The memory rouses a giggle from me.

"Is there any food?" Desire asks, rubbing her stomach. Then, spotting the necklace in my hands, snatches it and says, "Ooh, this is pretty. Where'd you get it?"

I panic a little inside at the idea of the necklace being in the hands of another, so I steal it back. "It was a gift." I respond, pocketing the necklace.

Desire shrugs her shoulders and stands from the table, walking to the counter.

"Any food?" She repeats, looking back at me, her black hair falling in her face.

"Somewhere. Look in front of you." I tell her, pointing to the cabinet.

She opens the door, only to find the cabinet barren.

"There's no food in here!" She says, turning back to me with a sad face.

"Well I guess we aren't eating anything then." I tell her with a little smirk.

"Are you serious?" Dez asks, looking truly upset.

I laugh and for a moment, forget about what happened last night. "Look in the next cabinet." I tell her, still laughing.

To our awe, the cabinet is full of random junk. Not breakfast food, but food nonetheless. Carrying some of it back to the table, we stuff our faces with junk food. Our very nutritious breakfast of Twinkies, HoHos, and skittles ends with the phone ringing. I reach for the receiver, pushing the send button once I have it.

"Hello?" I ask, listening for the response.

"Hey, Zalora, it's Holly."

"Hi, what's up?"

"I have some information for you. Can you come out to the office?" She asks hesitantly.

I contemplate for a moment before I answer. "Sure. What else are we going to do."

We say our goodbyes and I scribble down the directions to Holly and Nathan's office. Dez and I wake Breanna and tell her the situation. Once we are all dressed, Breanna and I drink the pot of coffee, not wanting to waste the precious brew.

When I open the door to leave, I am bitch-slapped by the wind. It is so cold I almost fall backwards on top of Breanna. We trudge through the cold and snow to my tiny car. The heater inside doesn't work, so we are freezing our asses off the whole way to our destination. It takes longer than it should to get there, because I get lost a few times.

The ride there is silent, because we are all barely still alive, having just woken up. It is around 9:30 when we finally arrive. The office we stumble upon seems bigger than what I had imagined. It stands 3 stories high, the paint is fresh and the windows are cleaned. For some reason, I pictured them as a messy type, but the building looks pristine and tidy. The building rests in the near center of the city.

The inside is a different story. It isn't exactly dirty as much as it is cluttered. There are papers scattered here and there, along with boxes, computer towers, and other miscellaneous office supplies. The door has a bell that signals when we enter. Before the last echo of the bell, Holly appears around the corner. She doesn't look happy or sad. She appears kind of…tired.

She welcomes us inside out of the cold and shows us to an office she states is her own. It is clean and perfect as the outside. Holly doesn't wear the same old Victorian dress she had on last night. Now she wears black skinny jeans and a Van Halen T-shirt. The blond hair I was so fascinated with last night, now rests in a loose ponytail.

"I found something I think you may find interesting." She begins, sitting in her computer chair and pointing for me to sit in the other. She waits until I an seated to begin.

"So I just randomly typed Thokk into my search engine, and immediately got results." She spoke as she demonstrated for us.

I lean closer into the screen to read the words, Thokk myth, Thokk God, Thokk…band?

"What do you mean?" I asked, still hung on the fact that there is a band named Thokk.

"Zalora. Thokk is a giantess." She says, clicking on a page to show a picture.

"A what?" Breanna asks, "A giantess?"

"Yeah," Holly says, glancing back at her and Dez. "It is a God in another form." Her gaze returns to me.

"Wait. Wait. Wait." I say, "So Thokk is a God? Then why was it a giant?" I am so confused.

"A giantess." She corrects me, "Thokk is a God who took on this form to become the giantess."

"You actually believe this?" I ask, doubtfully.

"Yes, I do, and I know you do too. It was the Ouija board we were using. That is a portal to talk to any being, Ghost or God." She says, leaning into my ear and whispering so the other two cannot hear. "I was shown what happened to you this morning. The Gods gave me a vision." She leans away, ignoring Desire and Breanna's glares.

I don't know what to say. How could she know about this morning? I decide to pretend that I have no clue what she is talking about.

"Please go on." I say, leaning closer to the screen.

"Well there is only one myth I could find about Thokk. It was the myth of the death of the God Balder in Norse Mythology." She begins, then pausing to look at us.

"Are you guys ready for story time?"

I nod, not really caring if the other two did or not. I look to see if they did, only to see what I had expected. Desire nodding in approval with an excited smile on her face, and Breanna face-palming. I giggle slightly, and return my glance to Holly, who continues to look at the computer screen.

"So, are you ready to have your minds blown?" She asks, a creepy smile spreading across her face, but still facing the screen.

"Thokk is a God in disguise, as I said before, but not just any God." She looks around at us, a dramatic silence follows.

"And?" I ask impatiently.

"Thokk is Loki in disguise." She says, as if we know who that is.

"Who the hell is Loki?" Breanna asks, pulling a chair off of the stack in the corner of the room, Dez does the same.

Holly looks at us as if we are the dumbest people in the world, which I feel like right now.

"Loki is the Norse Trickster God, guys! How do you not know Loki!" She is freaking out so much I think her head my burst.

"Holly, calm down!" I order, putting both hands on her shoulders, forcing her back into her chair.

"I'm sorry," she begins, the red draining from her face, "it's just that Loki…it's Loki." She says, giving us a look I can't describe, making me feel even more stupid.

"Just go on with your story, Holly." I say, turning back to the screen.

A sigh comes from her before she continues, "So, anyways, Loki is the God of Mischief and Trickery. He is the most disliked of the Norse Gods. They disliked him so much that…" She pause, scrolling the screen. "that they chained him up after he assisted in the murder of Balder , which was Odin's son."

"Hold up." I say, raising my hand to stop her. "Who is Odin and Balder?"

"Odin is the King of the Gods. He is a cunt. Balder was his son, whose only weakness at the time was mistletoe. Loki found some and sharpened the end, giving it to Hoder, Balder's twin brother."

"Okay." I say, prodding her to continue.

"Hoder was blind and didn't understand what he was doing. He threw it at Balder slaying him, and was killed for it by another of Odin's children as revenge." She is no longer looking at the screen, seems she knows about this stuff.

"Alright, I get it now, go on." I say, sitting back in the chair.

"Okay, back to Loki." She begins, turning away from the computer and facing us. "Loki is now chained up in a cave until Ragnarok. Which is the end of the world. He will lead an army against Odin and the end will begin."

She stops talking, leaning forward in her seat and resting her face on her hands. Nothing else is said.

"Is that all?" I ask, looking at Dez and Breanna, who seem as disappointed as I am.

"What more could you want, Zalora? You had a Ouija board session with a God last night. How could you want any more than that?" She seems to be slightly offended for some reason, I don't quite understand.

"That's not what I meant, Holly." I say with a firm tone, "I was wondering if that was Loki's whole story."

"Yeah, that's pretty much the gist of it." The bell rings in the other room and Holly flies to the door.

"I have a customer, guys. So I guess I'll see you later?"

"Sure, maybe, I'm confused." I say softly, but she hears it anyway.

"Just take some time to let it sink in." She says walking out the door. The room is silent for a while. We all stand to leave and continue on without a word. I think we are all equally as confused right now. We make it into the main room, where Holly stands with what must be a customer, babbling something about a poltergeist. I nod goodbye to her and hold the door open for Dez and Breanna. As I turn to follow, her voice stops me.

"Hey, Zalora." She calls across the store.

"Yeah?" I answer, a little appalled that she is actually practically throwing us out.

Her eerie tone and weird facial expression makes me shiver slightly, which she sees. Holly smiles again. "Remember, a God doesn't talk to just anyone. There was a reason. You, alone, need to find out why he chose you."

18


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5- 'Dream On'**

"Why is she so damn eerie?" I ask Breanna and Dez on the ride back to my house. We are coming up on the driveway when I finally ask the question that had been brewing on my mind since leaving Holly's office.

"Who knows." Dez says from the passenger seat. "What did she say?"

I sigh and nod slightly, "It wasn't anything important. Let's just get back so I can go to bed."

We were only at Holly's for roughly half an hour, so it is now just past 10 am.

"Bed?!" Breanna exclaims, unbuckling her seatbelt as I pull into the driveway.

I throw the car into park and shut off the engine. I exit the car in silence. It is almost as cold as it was when we left, although the snow has lightened up a bit.

"Yes, bed. Guys, I'm fuckin' tired." I say, rubbing my temple gently.

Breanna walks around the car to me and gives me a side hug, and Dez follows. After they wish me sweet dreams, I agree to call them tomorrow. I watch as Dez's car flies down the driveway and around the corner.

I stumble in the snow and manage to make it to the door. Once inside, I walk to my room and, after removing only my coat, fall onto the bed. I don't fall asleep immediately, but soon enough, I am, again, in dreamland.

Rocks. Rocks everywhere. I see nothing but rocks and darkness before me. Am I dreaming? I must be, how else would I have gotten from my bed to the this place? I turn to my left, only to find totally untainted soil. I turn to my right and, to my surprise, see a trail of footprints. It seems the path has been lit for me, but, looking around, I cannot find the source of light.

I turn to walk in that direction, when an ocean breeze catches me off guard, causing my waist-length hair to lightly tickle my back. My dress flows in the wind, giving me goose bumps. Dress? I look down at myself. Ok, so I am in the same sapphire dress as before. And now, the black stone rests back in its original place, around my neck.

I continue to follow the trail, which seems to be forever long. I keep my eyes glued to the ground, not glancing up for even a moment, a fear rousing inside me that if I lose the footprints, I may be trapped here forever. The trail ends abruptly, so I take a chance and look up. A cave? I must be on the outskirts of the land now, because the soil turns to light grass.

That anxious, gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach returns. The same feeling that had drawn me to the man in my dream and the woman in my kitchen. Without another thought, I enter the cave. I move in bravely, but cautiously. I am more fueled by curiosity, as usual, than I am by fear.

As soon as I cross the threshold, I am immediately chilled with the cavern draft. Wrapping my arms around myself, I continue on. My stomach tightens as the smell of iron and blood fills my nostrils. The stones lining the ground are cold against my bare feet.

I pause momentarily. The stalagmites reach from the ground as high as my knees. The sun outside pours into the opening, causing shadows on the walls. There is a sharp clanging sound deeper in the cave that rings in my ears. It could possibly be chains, but I can't quite tell.

Suddenly something moves out of the corner of my eye. Are the stalagmites moving? No, it's the stalagmites' shadows. The sun isn't shifting, they are moving too quickly for that to be an option. I am not afraid, but muddled nonetheless.

They seem to dance on the wall, moving slowly. I blink once, and there is a word on the wall, formed with the shadows.

"Velja." I say aloud the single word that has shaped, but don't understand.

All of a sudden, the smell of iron becomes more than I can bear. I retch as my stomach flip-flops defiantly. Turning the other way, I begin to run from the cave. To my astonishment, as I run faster, the cave opening becomes farther away. I am running forwards, but moving backwards.

I begin to panic and let out a scream that echoes throughout the cavern. I continue to scream, knowing that no one can hear me. I don't give up my pursuit of the opening. Did I die and go to hell? This seems like utter torture, seeing my freedom and never reaching it.

I stumble and fall to my hands and knees. The rattling I had heard before is closer. I really did move backwards. Grainy mud oozes around my hands, caking the bottom of my dress. I stagger in an attempt to stand, and am scared to turn from the cave opening. I hear the rattling right behind me, I am not alone here.

My curiosity gets the better of me and I turn to look. I gasp in surprise and stumble backwards. It's him again! The man! Only now he's….he's naked, and chained to a rock. The origin of the iron stench is obvious now, it connects him to the boulder by the ankle. He screams in agony, an acid looking liquid drips on his face. I follow the drippy trail up to spot a snake hanging over his head. As he screams, the earth shakes beneath me. The deeper the cry, the deeper the shake.

Its mouth hangs wide open, hissing demonically as venom trickles from it. What does a person do in this situation? How often is someone found naked, chained to a rock with a fucking snake hanging above them?

"Uhhhh…" I say aloud, looking around the cavern room to find something, anything. I spot a stick in the corner, and retrieve it.

I am terrified inside. This is where I let my instincts take over. I slowly advance the man, who is still screaming. Extending my arm, I smack the snake, causing it to fall from the hanging stick it was wrapped around. It curls and twists, hissing in fury.

A sigh of relief comes from the man, whose face is deformed from the venom. He leans his head back and closes his eyes, his orange, sweat-matted hair falling back. My eyes return to the snake.

It regains its posture and charges at me. I, impulsively, shriek and throw the stick at it and miss. My heroism is over. I let out a screech, which draws the man's attention. Moving with quick motion, he runs to the extent of his chain, which is short, but long enough to catch the serpent. In one swift motion, he rips the snake in half, blood and snake guts splatter the ground.

Not only am I baffled at the sight of snake innards, but also the facially deformed, naked man before me.

He looks up to me, and I groan in disgust. He cringes, seemingly hurt as he turns around, burying his face in his hands.

"Eg mislika ykkar virðing?" He says, through near-weeping words, although I have no clue what he is saying. It is also no help to my hearing that his face is still smashed into his hands.

"I-" I say, feeling bad, "I'm sorry." I step forward to place a hand on his shoulder, when I remember. Oh yeah…..naked. So I pull back.

He looks up and turns to me, and for some magical reason, his face is normal now, no longer deformed. Noticing how I try to avert my eyes, he looks down at himself, then back to me, smiling playfully. To be honest, it kind of creeps me out. He seems oddly familiar.

"Eg er nøkkviðor." He says, his smile growing wider.

"What? Will you please speak English Mr. Nude Man?" I ask, walking along the wall with my back against it.

"My engleesh is roosty." He says, with a deep voice.

Ok, so now he's pretty, but still naked. I try to keep my eyes glued to his face, to keep them from wandering. It is a task easier said than done.

"Where am I?" I ask, looking around the stone chamber.

"NIflheim." He says.

"Nifl- what?" I ask, giving him a confused glance.

He chuckles, but does not answer.

"Am I still dreaming?" I ask, again making eye contact with him.

"Maybe 'en Midgard, boot not 'ere." He says.

"I don't understand." I say, making my way around the edge of the room, back to the opening.

"Of course noot, but you will 'en time." He yanks his leg against the chain, and changes the subject.

"Now there's one moore thing I need." He says to me, taking a seat on the rock his chain leads to.

"Ye woodn't happen to have a key on ya would ye?" He asks, a smirk developing on his now perfect face.

I do not answer.

He looks around the area, and deep into the cave beyond.

"Sigyn!" He calls.

I register the name immediately. The woman who was in my home called herself Sigyn!

"You know her? She broke into my house!" I say, taking a step out of the room.

He chuckles lightly, rubbing his temple with one hand, and his chained ankle with the other.

"She eis my wife." He says, standing. "She 'as yet to returrrn."

"Who are you?" I ask, staring deeply into his eyes.

He stares back for what feels like minutes before he answers. When he does, he stands and does a slight bow.

"I am the one you know of as Thokk." He says, smiling gently.

"Thokk?" I ask, then I recall what Holly had told us before.

"Who are you really?" I ask, stepping closer to him, but not too close.

Another slight pause. When he does answer, his voice shakes the walls of the cave and the ground beneath me.

"I am the one they call Loki."

"Loki?" I say, in more a form of a question.

He nods, still smiling.

"Now you have done your part. It is time for you to go home. Return to the realm of Midgard and await my return, Zalora." He says, "Thank you for what you have done for me."

I am, as usual, confused. Everything around me becomes a blur.

Suddenly, I am awake in my bed. No floating or choking this time. I look around me and see through the bedroom windows that it is dark out. The clock next to the bed reads 11:39 p.m. I don't want to get out of bed.

For some reason, I have a glowing, fuzzy feeling inside. A feeling of….of understanding. All the pieces are starting to come together and, for some psychotic reason, it is making sense. Loki is the man from my dreams, Sigyn is his wife, and I helped him in some way.

I roll over and switch on the lamp. Grabbing the phone, I dial the only number I can think of.

She answers in a couple of rings, her voice tired and drowsy sounding.

"Holly?" I ask, to be sure she is awake.

"Yeah." Her response is slow and drawn out.

"I know why he chose me. I helped him."

"What? Who?" She begins, then, catching herself and responding, "Loki?"

"Yeah. I helped him, I think. But do me a favor?" I ask.

"Sure."

"Look up Niflheim for me, will ya?" I ask, yawning.

She is quiet for a moment, then answers, "I don't have to look it up to tell you. NIflheim is the Norse equivalent of the Underworld. What made you ask that?"

"Nothing important." I say, "Goodnight, and thank you."

"Sure, later."

I lay the receiver back by the lamp and switch it off. I lay on my back and stare into the darkness.

"Ees she the one who told ye about me?" A voice within the room echoes and rumbles, causing me to scream.

I don't move, frozen in place.

"You going to turn on the light?" It asks.

"No." I respond, "I don't want to see when you come at me with a butcher knife, Mr. Slasher." I feel infantile saying this, but terrified as well.

A deep chuckle rumbles from him. "It is me, Loki, Zalora, not this Mr. Slasher."

I turn on the lamp again, and look for him. He stands, clothed, in the corner of my room. He wears black, loose pants and a green t-shirt. The orange hair is pulled back into a low pony-tail.

"You have clothes on." I say, although I am not sure why. I guess as a silence filler.

He looks down at his clothing and looks to me, smiling. "I can take them off if ye prefer."

I feel my face grow hot and giggle involuntarily.

"Thees is no time for messing aroound." He begins, walking across the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. "We have a loot to discooss."

25


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6- 'Can I Play With Madness?'**

"What do you mean?" I ask, pulling away from him and curling up, with my knees to my chest.

He chuckles and lies down on the bed, keeping his eyes on me as he talks. I reach out and poke his forehead, to be sure he is real. As I pull my hand away, he gives me a confused look, which is then replaced with a smile.

"Why did ye do that?" He asks, not moving his eyes from my face.

"I'm still not completely sure I'm sane. How could I talk to a…a God?" I ask.

"I was chained up for the murder of Odin's son." He begins.

"Balder?" I ask, surprised I remembered the name.

"Yes, and it was theere I reemained unteel you finally realized what ye needed to do."

"But how aren't you chained up now? How did you get free?" I ask.

"Apparrently, Sigyn reeeched the Froost giants before she disappearred. They arrived shortly after you woke up." He lifts his hand and rubs his temple lightly. "They freed me."

"Oh, the Frost Giants, okay Chief." I say sarcastically, with the wave of my hand.

"Ye think me crazy?" He asks, leaning up on his elbow and watching me intently.

"No….I think me crazy!" I yell, lowering my face onto my knees and wrapping my arms around my head.

"I was having the dreams, and then some creeper lady shows up in my house, then to top it all off I find a naked guy chained up to a rock, and now he's in my bed!"

I feel his hand patting my foot gently. "Ye arre noot insane."

I instinctually pull my foot away from the stranger's touch, lifting up my head.

"Soooo…" I begin, standing from the bed slowly and cautiously. "Urrmmmm…let's go downstairs. I can make coffee."

He sits up, adjusting his shirt at the collar. "Coffee?" He asks, he seemingly retreats into his mind momentarily as he ponders the word. With the look of an "ah-ha!" moment, he continues, "Oh! Coffee.." He chuckles heartily, "Thee poison oof the mortals."

"Riiiiiight…" I say, as I slowly walk across the room to the door. I turn once I reach the opening and I realize that he is not following me. "Are you coming?" I ask.

He still sits on the bed, looking at me. He glances between me and the bed, finally settling his gaze on the bed, seemingly longingly.

"Ye don't troost me near a bed, do ye?" he asks, laughing seductively.

"Weeelll…" I begin, fidgeting awkwardly, "I mean I did just see you naked, you are a god apparently, and I don't know you. Sooooo…..yeah."

He snickers as he stands from the bed quickly. "Sorry, Zalora. It's been awhile." Then, seeing how uncomfortable I am, says, "It's fine. The goddesses have learned noot to troost me near a bed either."

We walk silently to the kitchen, and I can't help but look over my shoulder every so often. His eyes are on me the whole time. It seems to take forever to cross my tiny home to the kitchen. Once we enter the room, he takes a seat at the table by the window and folds his pale arms before him on the tabletop. I go to the coffee pot, only then remembering that Breanna had drank all of my damn coffee.

"Balls." I whisper angrily, reaching for the filters and coffee.

I hear the scraping of the chair legs on the kitchen floor, making me turn around quickly. Loki has risen from his seat and is now standing by the phone. The answering machine blinks zero, indicating that I have no messages. He studies it intently. Slowly, he raises one finger and presses a button on the screen.

"You have no messages." The monotone, female voice says loudly, causing Loki to jump slightly. He looks to me questioningly.

"It's a phone…" I say sarcastically.

"Your mortal instruments amuse me." He says with a smile. I shrug uneasily as I return to the coffee pot.

"I apologize foor my acting like a neanderthal." He says, returning to his seat at the table. I press the button to start the coffee and turn around, leaning on the countertop.

"I don't get it." I remark, folding my arms across my chest. "If you're a god, don't you know everything about us?"

He shakes his head sadly. "No, Zalora, I do not. I have beeen chained up for so long, that I nearly forgoot about humans. All I grew to know woos my pain," He pauses, keeping his eyes on the floor. "and my Sigyn."

I move across the room, taking the seat next to him. I lay a comforting hand on his muscular shoulder, not knowing what to say. He seems to appreciate even my silent comfort.

As I lower my hand, he slowly reaches into his loose pants pocket, pulling out an object on a string. Loki lies it on the table with a clink. He removes his hand, revealing the mysterious, black stone.

I don't reach for it and I don't talk. I just stare at it for what feels like forever.

"What's up with this thing?" I ask, finally grasping the cold rock in my hand.

"It ees you." He replies bluntly. "This ees the stone that made ye."

"A rock." I say sarcastically, "I was made by a rock."

He smiles faintly, looking exhausted.

"I think it's time some gave you 'the talk'." I say through laughter, air quoting the words. "You see, when a god and a goddess love eachother very much-"

"Don't have to love eachother." Loki interjects matter-of-factly. "Ye can't change the soobject."

My laughter subsides slowly as I regress back to the rock conversation.

"Well, I find it hard to believe that I was created from a rock."

"It ees true." He responds.

"Really?" I ask, which he nods to, "Then prove it."

He laughs before continuing. "I can noot very well prove it as I can tell ye."

"Fine." I say, gesturing for him to continue, leaning back into my chair comfortably.

"Where doo I start?" He asks, intertwining his fingers before him.

"The beginning."

"Fine. Thee beginning." He pauses, standing from the table and begins pacing slowly before the window. "In the beginning, there woos just the void, Ginnungagap. Then the fire and ice met in the center, creating Ymir-"

"Ummmm…not THE beginning…..MY beginning." I interrupt, slightly confused.

"Soorry." He chuckles, "Your creation ees a much simpler story." Loki returns to his seat at the table. "When it happened…when Hoder killed Balder-"

"Wait," I interrupt again, "I thought you killed him."

A look of irritation crosses his face, but is quickly gone, "No. Hoder killed Balder. I merely proovided him with thee tools to do it."

"Ok." I nod with laughter I try hard to hide.

"Anyway, joost before, Balder had begun having nightmares of death. So hee's mother Frigga went to get a proomise from all things existing, a proomise that they wouldn't harm heem. All promised except for the mistletoe."

"Are you telling me you honestly killed a god with mistletoe?" I ask, amazed.

He nods. "Hoder." He corrects me.

"Right." I agree half-heartedly. I glance over to the coffee pot, eager for a dose of "mortal poison."

"So after Balder's deeth, Odin came foor me. I woos caught and chained to thee roock."

"And there you stayed." I reply, standing to get my venom. "Do you want some?" I ask, holding out a black glass to him questioningly.

Loki seems to ponder the thought in his mind, which his pale face reflects.

"Sure." He answers, "I'll try eet."

"We really need to work on your English." I point out as he chuckles.

When I return to the table, I sit his mug before him as he eyes it cautiously. In one fast, swift motion, he picks up the cup and takes a gulp. He drops the cup back on the table, nearly toppling it over. His cheeks are puffed out, full of the venom. His eyes are wide in pain as he looks to me for help. Not sure as to what to do, I just stare in shocked surprise.

"It's hot, Loki!"

He swallows it in one big gulp as his face fades from red back to white. As gasp comes from his as he coughs and doubles over in his chair. I can't help but burst into laughter at this spectacle. As he slowly begins to breathe again, he laughs along with me.

"I don't theenk I like yer poison." He says in between short coughs.

"Oh my gosh!" I laugh. As the moment slowly subsides, I hear my stomach growl longingly. "Are you hungry?"

He looks down at his stomach, as if telekinetically asking his gut himself,

"Yes." He looks up, "Do ye have any meat loof? I remember that eet woos good."

"Meatloaf?" I look outside, seeing that it is still dark out. "It's in the middle of the night."

"Any time ees good foor meat loof." He attempts to negotiate. A pouty look covers his face.

"Fine," I say, standing and walking over to the fridge.

I have my head buried inside when a loud crash causes me to jump, hitting my head on the roof of the fridge. I whip around fast enough to see shattering class and blonde hair. Loki jumps from the table, running towards the blonde. The woman had jumped through the window and collapsed on the floor.

"Sigyn?" Loki asks as he advances the crumpled woman.

He is right next to her when she whips up, dagger in hand, stabbing Loki in the gut.

In near perfect English, Loki shouts his words of astonishment, "WHAT THE HELL?!"

28


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7- 'My Immortal'**

As the knife plunges into Loki's stomach, a malevolent smile spreads across Sigyn's face. He seems too shocked to react immediately. I am frozen in place. Loki falls backwards, toppling over the table. Sigyn rises to her feet. She shoots a deadly glance at me. If looks could kill, I'd be dog food. Her eyes return to Loki, who is struggling to remove the blade from within him. A look of fear and regret flashes across Sigyn's face, but is gone in a split second, the hatred returning. He stumbles to his feet, leaning against the wall for support.

Pulling another blade from her waistband, Sigyn turns to me, intent blazing in her eyes. Without saying anything, she slowly creeps across the kitchen, like a Michael Meyers cliché. I look around frantically for something to use against her. I remember my mug resting cold in my hand. With as much force as I can muster, I throw it at her. She dodges the mug in one swift motion. It flies past her, smacking Loki in the face. He cries out in pain before clutching his now burning cheeks and again collapsing.

She resumes her pursuit. The predator is mere feet from me when a flash of red flies before me. Loki has the woman pinned to the wall across the room. He pounds the knife from her grasp, knocking her head on the cabinets in the process.

With one mighty push she throws him across the room, smashing cabinets behind him. Loki falls to the floor. As if she were a holograph, Sigyn's being flickers and she changes form. She morphs and now takes the shape of a man in army attire. The brass chest plate shimmers in the kitchen light. He is much more muscular than Loki. One hand is clutched at his side and the other grips a brick-like hammer. His flowing red locks are similar to Loki's. His eyes lock on me. He looks so familiar, but it doesn't trigger a memory.

"This is all because of you!" he shouts, pointing at me with his hammer. Loki stumbles to his feet, brushing the blood from his forehead.

"Thor!" He yells, standing in front of me protectively.

"Brother!" Thor responds, "Why do you do this? Your punishment was just!"

"I hurt noo one!" He shouts back.

"It's what you do, Loki. Always causing mischief!" Thor points out, stepping towards us.

Loki takes a step back, pressing me against the counter top. Only then do I realize that he has one hand behind his back. In that hand, he has the blade that he took from Sigyn….Thor…I'm confused.

"Ye always knew that I liked to raise a little hell! Why poonish me now?!"

Thor drops his hammer to his side, a look of defeat crosses his face. "How could you have turned out this way, Loki? What did Father and I do wrong?"

Loki chuckes deeply, rumbling against me.

"Well, Thor, I guess eet all started after I spent te night with Sif all those centuries ago. She turned me into a little rebel!" He laughs.

"You lie!" Thor yells, raising his hammer.

"Why do ye theenk I chopped her hair oof? She spilled te beans to one oof those swan-maidens!"

"Stop your lying!" Thor yells, reverberating loudly in the room. He, without warning, runs at Loki and I. It seems to end as fast as it began. The knife flies out from behind Loki and it enters Thor's chest. He stops dead in his tracks. The sounds of gasping and grunting are all I can hear. Loki forces the blade deeper into Thor's chest, which is followed by a cry of pain. He drops his hammer, which falls to the floor. Loki releases the knife, sending Thor falling backwards.

"That woos too easy." He says skeptically.

He leans down to retrieve the hammer, and lifts if off the floor with no effort.

"Thees is noot Thor's hammer." He says, eyeing it suspiciously, "Noot another soul could ever pick it up."

We both look at Thor who is not curled up in the corner. Another holographic shimmer and Thor is Sigyn again. Her dark dress is saturated with blood. She looks to Loki helplessly.

"Why do ye do thees, Thor! Why te trickery!"

"Loki.." She whispers, "It's me."

"Ye lie!" He spits at her, throwing the fake hammer across the room.

"No," she shakes her head, "It is Odin's magic. I was spellbound to find you and kill her." He glances at me.

"I was inside all along, I just couldn't yell for you. Odin's magic is more powerful than all of us. I couldn't" she winces in pain, causing Loki to run to her side. He scoops her up in his arms. "I couldn't come back because they found me. Odin must have sensed my magic here."

"Don't blame yeerself." Loki pleads in a whisper.

"I never knew of this kind of magic. He said only after you wounded my could I revive. He wants you to suffer, Loki."

"Yer death will noot be in vain." He declares, "I will kill Odin meself."

She chuckles lightly, grunting in agony. "You can't. It's impossible. Look at the magic he's capable of." She lifts on slender, bloody hand to caress his face. "Don't let them catch you. You must protect her." He looks to me. Tears begin to pour down her face silently.

A shrill wheezing echoes in the room. Her hand falls to the floor and her body goes limp in Loki's arms. He stares at her for a while, petting her hair gently. I feel awkward, having witnessed this whole thing. I walk over, kneeling down beside him.

"I'm so sorry Loki." I say, reaching out to rest my hand on his. He jerks away, lowering his head on Sigyn to hide his tears.

"Leeve me, please." He whispers.

I don't respond. I stand quietly, leaving the room. I am not sure what exactly just happened, but I know that this is the beginning of something big.


End file.
